journal/YOU CANNOT HIDE FROM GOD

Sometimes we FORGET that God is working in you and me-and that HE is a GREAT merciful GOD-
We do not come to A STATE OF GRACE by anything that we did or any GOODNESS in us-ONLY
by ACCEPTING GOD and HIS kingdom saying yes IN FAITH

Dear Lord WE PRAY-thank you for YOUR HEALING MERCY-The story of Jonah and the
GREAT FISH is a powerful story of GOD'S LOVE and MERCY-

It is a GREAT DAY to be ALIVE! in God's LOVE AND MERCY for us








YOU CANNOT HIDE FROM THE LORD
( JONAH-A FISH TALE )




Do you know the story
Of Jonah and the GREAT fish (whale)


The Lord came to Jonah
And said:


“Go to the great city of Nineveh
And preach against it
Because its wickedness
Has come up before me” Jonah 1:2


But Jonah becomes afraid
And runs away from God


Jonah was an Old Testament prophet
From Galilee-growing up
About three miles from Nazareth


The assignment
That God gave Jonah
Was a particularly tough assignment
Because Assyria and its capital Nineveh
Had a brutal and oppressive reputation
And had been long-standing enemies
Of Israel


Jonah chooses to flee
And boards a ship
Headed for Tarnish
With some other sailors


BUT when the other sailors
Find out
He is running from the Lord
They throw him overboard


YOU CANNOT RUN
From the Lord
YOU CANNOT HIDE
From the Lord


At that point
A GREAT FISH swallows Jonah
And Jonah
Is in his belly
For three days and 3 nights


Jonah eventually repents
Of his sin
And the great fish
Vomits him to dry land


You cannot
Hide from the Lord


Jonah then
Makes the 500 mile trip to Nineveh
And LEADS the city
In a great revival


Nineveh repents
And Jonah becomes angry
At the Lord’s compassion


Jonah prays:
“Oh Lord
This is not what I said
When I was still at home


This is WHY
I was so quick to flee to Tarnish


I KNEW
That you are
A GRACIOUS and compassionate God
SLOW TO ANGER AND ABOUNDING IN LOVE


A God who
Relents
From sending calamity


Now Oh Lord-take away my life
For it is better for me to die
Than to live” Jonah 4:2&3


But the Lord our God
Has a lesson for Jonah
As he does for you and for me


And that is
HE IS A MERCIFUL GOD


And that God
Does HIS greatest work
HIS GREATEST MIRACLES
Through the least likely candidates


People like Jonah
PEOPLE LIKE US
And what we consider
To be impossible
GOD SEES IT
AS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY
To teach us he is


ALL powerful
ALL merciful
ALL compassionate


YOU CANNOT HIDE from the Lord
Nor should we want to
He may just have a MIRACLE
In store for you
And for me


Robert P. Wallman
4-23-13


Ps God wants us to REJOICE in the SALVATION of others
A LESSON that Jonah had to learn and sometimes we too
NEED TO LEARN






misc. WITNESS 3-4-14